Metz vs Strasbourg: Ligue 1 Prediction (17.08.2025)

On Sunday, 17 August at 22:15 WIB, at the Stade Saint-Symphorien in Metz, the local club Metz will host Strasbourg in the opening round of the 2025–2026 French Ligue 1 season.

The hosts finished third place in Ligue 2 last season, and through playoffs they earned promotion alongside Dunkerque and Reims. The visitors, meanwhile, secured seventh place in Ligue 1, which earned them a spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Bookmakers’ Odds

In the Metz – Strasbourg clash, bookmakers cautiously give a slight edge to the visiting team:

• Win for Metz (“the Dark Red”) – odds 3.12

• Draw – odds 3.48

• Win for Strasbourg (“the Blue-Whites”) – odds 2.34

The Over 2.5 total goals is valued at 1.90, suggesting an average scoring expectation for a French league match. Odds on both teams to score are 1.71.

Metz

Club management decided that Stéphane Le Mignan has been doing well enough and chose not to make costly signings after promotion.

• The most notable recent transfer is Danish goalkeeper Jonathan Fischer from Fredrikstad, who is expected to become the first-choice keeper this season.

• Malian midfielder Boubacar Traoré also returned from his loan spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers, though he barely featured in England, making his impact at Ligue 1 level uncertain.

Strasbourg

Liam Rosenior’s team had a solid season but stumbled in the last two rounds, losing to underdogs and missing out on sixth place, which would have secured a direct Europa League group stage ticket.

Despite this setback, the club’s leadership invested over €100 million in summer transfers. The scouts managed to attract players from the second tiers of Europe’s top clubs. The match against Metz will serve as an early test of how well the newcomers have been integrated into the squad.

Head-to-Head Statistics

From 2021 to 2024, the sides met five times in Ligue 1.

• Strasbourg won all five matches.

• In only one of those games did the Blue-Whites score just a single goal.

Prediction

The management of Strasbourg is clearly launching an ambitious project. Based on the quality of the squad and the head-to-head history, the prediction leans toward a Strasbourg win at odds 2.34.